Folding ironing table and the like



March 16, 1943. H. HOWE.

FOLDING lRONING TABLE; AND THE LIKE Filed July 25, 1941 INV'ENTOR HAROLD HOWE. TL w. 0?

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNITED" STATES PATENT- OFFICE FOLDING momma TABLE AND THE LIKE Harold Howe, Rowayton, Conn. Application July 25-, 1941, SerialNo. 403,944

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a'folding support for ironing boards and the like and has particular application to foldablearticles such as ironing boards, tables, benches and the like wherein a supporting surface is provided with foldable legs.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown and will describe my invention as applied toan ironing board, but it is to be understood that the invention is also well adapted for application to other articles of furniture.

In Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,094,123, filed May 22, 1935, and issued September 28, 1937, I disclosed a folding support for ironing boards, tables, benches,;., ;and the like consisting of a front leg and a pair of rear legs for synchronous folding against the under side of the supported surface, the front leg being sectional to fold upon. itself and;extensible when unfolded.

By my present invention I have provided a 'folding leg structure consisting of a front leg {fand a pair of rear legs connected for synchroous folding wherein all of said legs are unitary.

"" -I h'ave provided means whereby one pair of links connecting the rear legs to the front leg is 's'lidably supported on said front leg. My improvedstructure has the advantages of strength and simplicity.

flie -invention will be best understood if the followingdescription is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is aside view of an ironing board equipped with my improved folding support means, the latterbeing shown in full lines in unfolded position and in dotted lines in partly folded position:

I Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the under side of the board with the legs folded thereagainst; Fig. 3 is' a detail view of a portion of the front leg viewed from the rear showing a slide support for one of said pair of links joining the .jfront leg to the rear legs, and showing locking cans for the slide; Fig. 4 is a detail side view of a portion of the unitary front leg. partly broken away smwmg the said slide and the locking means therefor;

F155 is a detail view taken on the line 5-5, of Fig. 4; V

Fig. 6 is a detail of the slide member used in the preferred form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Reference character I refers to the supporting surface or top, in this case of an ironing board, but for which might be substituted 9. table top, bench top, or the like. Mounted be struck from the plate and bent at substan tially right angles thereto, and to which are pivoted at one end the rear legs 5. Pivot pins 6 pass through the ears 4 and through legs 5 and are provided at each end with suitable heads or other means for suitably securing the legs against lateral movement but permitting free pivotal action thereof.

The braces I may also be pivotally secured at one end to the ears 4 as by the pins 8, and at their opposite ends to the legs 5 by means of pins 9, passing through said legs at points spaced from the pivoted ends thereof. It will be noted that pins 8 are positioned to the rear of a line joining pivots 6 and accordingly braces i will cause said legs 5 to move apart laterally in moving from folded to unfolded position thus increasing the distance between the feet of legs 5 when the board or table is in use.

Alsosecured to the under side of the board I, V at a point substantially midway between the ends thereof and substantially forwardly of the plate 2 is a second plate l0 suitably secured as by the screws II. This plate Ill 1s provided with a pair of ears l2 formed on the plate in any suitable manner and extending at right angles thereto in parallel relation. The pivot pin I3 is .journalled in the ears I! and pivoted upon this pin l3, between the ears I2, is one end of the unitary leg M, preferably, although not necessarily, of channel or U-shaped form with flanges l5 extending inwardly toward one another on the open side of said leg.

Mounted in the slideway formed by the inturned flanges I5 is a slide l6 having upturned T-shaped flanges 11, the laterally extending portions lid of which are adapted to rest upon the inturned flanges I5 of the leg. Intermediatethe upturned T-shaped flanges at the ends of the slide it is the outwardly extending ear l8 which may be struck from the slide and bent upwardly at substantially right angles thereto.

Pivotally mounted within the leg is a locking member l9, which as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is pivotally mounted at one end, adjacent the lower end of leg I, on pivot pin 20 extending through the opposite sides of leg l4. Spacing members 1 thus raising abutment member 24 the main portion of locking member I8 so that its lower end is adjacent the inner surface of the front leg l4. This spring member .2l may, if desired, be integrally formed with looking member i9 and may be twisted, as at 22, at a right angle to the main portion of lock member I, so that its lower end 23 presents a wide bearing surface to the interior wall of the leg.

Just in front of spring member 2i the lock member i9 is cut away along its upper surface forming the vertical abutment or tooth 24 which from-its highest point slopes gradually to the twisted portion 22 of the spring 2|, thus forming a surface 24a over which the slide it may readily travel in one direction of movement to depress said space, forming a slideway, a slide having portions normal to said leg flanges with oppolock member I! against theaction of spring 21.

Intermediate the pivot and the abutment 24 is the outwardly projecting stop and thumb piece 25 by which the locking member is may be depressed against the force of spring 2! when it is desired to unlock slide l8.

Pivoted at one end to the rear legs 5 on the pivot pins are links ii the opposite ends of which are pivoted as at 32 to the front leg 14. Pivoted at the rear end to the rear legs I on the pivot pins 6 is a second pair of llllkS a the opposite ends of which are pivoted to the ear J8 on slide it by means of pivot pin 34.

It will be seen that when the legs are in folded position, as in Fig. 2, the slide i8 and its pivotal connection 34 to links 33 will have moved upwardly along front leg i4 so that pivot 34 is above pivot 32, whereas when the legs are unfolded the slide will have moved downwardly along leg i4 so that pivot 32 is above pivot 34. It will be understood, however. that the links II and 33 may be arranged at an angle such that they will not cross each other when moving from folded to unfolded position and vice versa.

As illustrated in full lines in Figs. 3 and 4 slide it is in unlocked position and as the legs are unfolded it will move downwardly until it abuts against the shoulder 24a of locking member ll thus rotating slide is against the action of spring member 2| until slide it is entirely between member 25, and abutment 24, when the force of spring 2| will cause locking member I! to rise, above slide member i6 and preventing it from moving upwardly along front leg l4. Front leg i4 is prevented from being collapsed until locking member i9 is depressed again, as by pushing down on thumb piece 25, thus removing abutment 24 from the path of slide i6 and allowing it to move upwardly in its slideway.

What I claim is:

1. An ironing table comprising a board, a pair of rear legs pivoted to the board adjacent one end thereof, a front leg comprising a plurality of faces angularly disposed and leaving a space communicating with the interior of the leg pivotally attached to the board at a point spaced from said rear legs, link members interconnecting said rear legs respectively and said front leg,

sitely disposed pairs of spaced laterally extending flanges overlying the opposite faces of said leg flanges respectively and thus keying the slide to said leg flanges, an arm pivotally mounted within said front leg having a projection at its free end extending outwardly through the flanges forming said slideway, said projection having a sharply angled face, and a gradually inclined face extending in the direction of the slide, and spring means urging the free end of said arm outwardly into the path of said slide, to cause the said projection to engage the slide when it has passed below said projection.

2. An ironing table comprising a board, a pair of rear legs pivoted to the board adjacent one end thereof, a front leg comprising a plurality of faces angularly disposed and leaving a space communicating with the interior of the leg pivotally attached to the board at a point spaced from said rear legs, a pair of flanges extending from faces of said. front leg toward one another part way across said space, forming a slideway, a slide keyed in said slldeway. a pair of links extending between said rear legs respectively and said front leg, and lock bar means pivotally attached at one end to the rear portion of the structure adjacent to the pivotal connections between the rear legs and said board and pivotally attached at the other end to said slide,

an arm pivotally mounted within said front leg having a projection at its free end extending outwardly through the flanges forming said slideway, said projection having a sharply angled face, and it gradually inclined face extending in the direction of the slide, and spring means urging the free end of said arm outwardly into the path of said slide, to cause the said projection to engage the slide when it has passed below said projection.

3. An ironing table comprising, a board, rear legs pivoted to the under side of said board adjacent one end, a front leg pivoted to the board' at a point spaced from said rear legs, a traveller on said front leg adapted to move freely lengthwise of said leg, a pair of links connecting intermediate points of said rear legs respectively to an intermediate point of said front leg, lock bar means pivotally attached at one end to the rear portion of the structure adjacent to the pivotal connections between the rear legs and said board and pivotally attached at the other end to said traveller, and means located on the front leg for locking the traveller when the front leg is in extended position, said lock bar and traveller being so disposed with respect to the front leg that said lock bar means will at all times define an angle of more than with respect to the portion of said front leg which is below the said traveller.

HAROLD HOWE. 

